explain how high bicycles were imperfect 5 Using the information in the passage, we can tell that the best bicycle design would A.. ensure that the bicycle was safe, even if it was les
Trang 1READ THEORY Passage and Questions
Name Date
• Reading Comprehension As es me t
Dire tio s: : Read the passage Then answer the questions below.
In the nineteenth century, bicycles were an exciting new
mode of transportation But the first bicycles were not as
comfortable, efficient, or safe as bicycles are today Because the
first bicycles did not function perfectly, they were redesigned
frequently Although those trials and errors happened two centuries
ago, they made our current bicycles possible
In the 1860s, an imperfect bicycle called the velocipede
became popular Because it shook riders excessively, people called
it the “boneshaker.” Made of wood and iron, it was stiff and heavy
The boneshaker’s massive frame and sturdy wheels helped the
bicycle to withstand the rough cobblestone roads But they could
not protect its rider from the road’s unpleasant bumps The seat helped some because it was attached to
a spring But the handlebar still shook a lot Moreover, the boneshaker did not move efficiently The front wheel had inflexible wooden spokes attached in straight lines from the hub to the rim Those radial
spokes did not convey the force from the pedals very efficiently
The next popular bicycle—called the high bicycle, ordinary, or penny farthing—was more efficient The high bicycle had a huge front wheel and a tiny back wheel People sat directly above the tall front wheel and moved the pedals attached to it Each time the rider pushed the pedals in a small circle, the giant wheel moved in a large circle One small pedal cycle moved the bicycle forward very far and very fast!
The innovations in the high bicycle’s front wheel made its speed and ease of movement possible First, the high bicycle’s front wheel was bigger than the boneshaker’s, so it could move farther Second, its spokes were made of thin metal rods, so they were lighter and more flexible than the boneshaker’s heavy wooden spokes Reducing the wheel’s mass made the wheel easier to push Third, the high
bicycle’s spokes were placed at angles (tangentially) between the hub and rim, instead of in straight lines (radially) as in the boneshaker The tangential spokes conveyed the pedals’ force more effectively,
making the wheel more efficient and more powerful Finally, the high bicycle had solid rubber tires They were more soothing than the boneshaker’s iron ones
Unfortunately, the high bicycle was very dangerous Although the small back wheel provided some stability, people still fell from the tall bicycles And when that happened, they got hurt very badly! Because they were sitting high off of the ground, they had a long way to fall And nineteenth-century bicycle riders did not wear helmets, so serious injuries were common
Not surprisingly, the next bicycle—called the safety bicycle—privileged safety over efficiency and comfort Its wheels of equal and moderate size allowed people to touch the ground with their feet So when people fell, they didn’t fall far But the safety bicycle was harder to operate than the high bicycle
Most modern bicycles today are based on the safety bicycle of the 1880s Over time, designers have improved the bicycle to keep its safety features while increasing its efficiency and comfort
Trang 2READ THEORY Questions
1) According to the passage, bicycles were invented in the
A 1700s
B 1800s
C 1900s
D 2000s
2) All of the following bicycle parts made boneshakers uncomfortable to ride EXCEPT
A the wheels
B the handlebar
C the seat
D the frame
3) As used in paragraph 4, the word innovations means all of the following EXCEPT
A enlargements
B changes
C alterations
D modifications
4) The main purpose of paragraph 5 is to
A make us feel sorry for people who got hurt
B argue that high bicycles should not have been sold
C illustrate the need for helmets
D explain how high bicycles were imperfect
5) Using the information in the passage, we can tell that the best bicycle design would
A balance comfort, efficiency, and safety, even if the bicycle became a little worse in each area
B prioritize comfort, even if it lowered the bicycle’s efficiency and safety
C offer comfort and efficiency, even if it made the bicycle less safe
D ensure that the bicycle was safe, even if it was less efficient or comfortable
6) Based on the information in the passage, explain in your own words the main differences between the
boneshaker and the high bicycle
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Trang 3READ THEORY Questions
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7) If you had the opportunity to ride a high bicycle instead of a modern bicycle, would you do it? Why or
why not?
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8) This passage focuses on how one mode of transportation evolved over time What do you know
about how other modes of transportation (cars, trains, planes, etc.) have changed over time? Were the changes similar to the changes in the development of the bicycle? How?
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Trang 4READ THEORY Answers and Explanations
1) B
Question Type: Detail
We can find the answer to this detail question in the first sentence of the passage Paragraph 1 says, “Bicycles were invented in the nineteenth century.” But there are other clues as well In paragraph 1 says: “Although those trials and errors happened two centuries ago, they made our current bicycles possible.” That sentence gives us a hint to count back two centuries from today Since we are in the 2000s (the twenty-first century), two centuries earlier would be the 1800s (the nineteenth century) Finally, the other two dates in the passage, the “1860s” (from paragraph 2) and “1880s” (from the last paragraph), give us more evidence that bicycles were
invented in the 1800s With this information, we know that (B) is correct The passage does not provide support for choice (A)
Therefore, it is incorrect We might associate the nineteenth century with the 1900s because nineteen/19 appears (in one form or
fashion) in both But the clues in the passage point to the 1800s They help us to eliminate (C) The passage does not provide support for choice (D) Therefore, it is incorrect
2) C
Question Type: Detail
To answer this detail question correctly, we need to find where the passage talks about boneshakers A good way to start is to skim the first sentence of every paragraph, since the topic sentence introduces the main idea(s) of the paragraph Paragraph 2 says, “In the 1860s, an imperfect bicycle called the velocipede became popular.” That sentence does not use the word boneshaker, but it mentions “an imperfect bicycle,” so we get a sense that the information we need may be in paragraph 2 Since the next sentence tells us that “boneshaker” was its nickname, we know to keep reading When we do, we find the information we need: the bicycle part that made riding a boneshaker more comfortable We read: “The seat helped some because it was attached to a spring.” That
sentence helps us understand that (C) is correct Paragraph 2 tells us that the boneshaker’s “sturdy wheels” “could not protect its rider from the road’s unpleasant bumps.” Using that information, we can eliminate (A) Paragraph 2 also tells us that the
boneshaker’s handlebar “shook a lot.” Since holding a shaking handlebar would be uncomfortable, we can eliminate (B) as well
Paragraph 2 also says that the boneshaker’s “massive frame” “could not protect its rider from the road’s unpleasant bumps.”
Therefore, (D) is also incorrect
3) A
Question Type: Vocabulary
innovation (noun): the action or process of innovating; a new method, idea, product
If we substituted the word enlargements for the word innovations, then topic sentence of paragraph 4 would change In the passage,
it says, “The innovations in the high bicycle’s front wheel made its speed possible.” If we replaced the word innovations with enlargements, then the sentence would only refer to the larger size of the high bicycle’s wheel That would be a significant change
As a topic sentence, the sentence is supposed to introduce the main idea: that the high bicycle’s wheel differed from the
boneshaker’s wheel in many ways Since the wheel’s enlargement is a specific innovation, it is not a good synonym for innovations
in general Choice (A) is the exception, so it is correct We could substitute the word changes for the word innovations without
changing the essential meaning and function of paragraph 4’s topic sentence Since we are looking for the word that does not
substitute well, we can eliminate (B) We could also substitute the word alterations for the word innovations without changing the essential meaning and function of paragraph 4’s topic sentence That helps us to eliminate (C) as well Finally, we could substitute
the word modifications for the word innovations without changing the essential meaning and function of paragraph 4’s topic
sentence Because (D) is not an exception, it is incorrect
4) D
Question Type: Inference
From the title and the introduction (paragraph 1), we can tell that the passage will be about the “trials and errors” of early bicycle designs Because every body paragraph must relate to the passage’s main idea, paragraph 5 must also be about a trial or error Because paragraph 5 is about how dangerous high bicycles were, we can tell that the paragraph is about an error in the bicycle’s design Having introduced an error, the passage then goes on to introduce the trial of a new design (that was more successful) If the high bicycle had been perfect, then the next model (and the passage’s last paragraph) would have been unnecessary Because
the author uses paragraph 5 to explain how high bicycles were imperfect, (D) is correct Reading paragraph 5, we may feel sorry for
the people who got hurt when riding high bicycles We may even enjoy the paragraph’s dramatic language and punctuation But the passage is not intended to entertain us or make us feel a certain way The primary purpose is to inform of us of the trial and errors in
early bicycle designs And paragraph 5, in particular, explains one of those errors Therefore, (A) is incorrect Because high bicycles
were dangerous, some people might argue that they should not have been sold But the author does not make that argument The
passage does not provide support for (B) Therefore, it is incorrect Paragraph 5 mentions the downside of people not wearing
helmets It says, “And nineteenth-century bicycle riders did not wear helmets, so serious injuries were common.” But that is the only
time that helmets are mentioned Since the need for helmets was not the main purpose of paragraph 5, we can eliminate (C) 5) A
Question Type: Global
Paragraph 1 mentions comfort, efficiency, and safety, so we know that those features are important They also become the standard
by which each bicycle is judged The rest of the passage describes each bicycle’s strengths and weaknesses in those areas It also suggests that each bicycle was replaced or improved because it failed in one or more of those areas That leads us to conclude
that (A) is correct Paragraph 2 on the boneshaker could lead us to believe that comfort matters most of all But subsequent
paragraphs suggest that other bicycles were better because they also considered efficiency and safety That helps us to
eliminate (B) The description of the high bicycle in paragraphs 3-5 could lead us to think that comfort and efficiency matter more
than safety However, according to paragraphs 5 and 6, the safety bicycle came after the high bicycle And modern bicycles are
based on the safety bicycle So safety must be important, too Using that information, we can eliminate (C) Paragraphs 5 and 6
discuss safety According to paragraph 5, the high bicycle was imperfect because it was unsafe From paragraph 6, we can tell that the safety bicycle met people’s desires for a safe mode of transportation Because modern bicycles are based on the safety bicycle,
we might be tempted to think that safety matters most But the passage spends a lot of time talking about comfort and efficiency It
Trang 5READ THEORY Answers and Explanations
also suggests that modern bicycles kept the “safety features” while improved the safety bicycle’s “efficiency and comfort.” Because
efficiency and comfort are as important as safety, (D) is incorrect